Carbon Monoxide Alarm Guidelines

Let's start with the most important reminder: smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are not the same thing. One cannot do the job of the other. Every home needs both.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: The Dangers

Every year, emergency rooms treat several thousand people for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. About 170 people die each year from it.

Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, poisonous, and deadly. If there is a leak, you may not even know it. Especially at night when the household is sleeping, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause people to slip into unconsciousness and ultimately, death.

Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of many different types of fuel, including coal, charcoal, wood, oil, propane, and natural gas.

You may be at risk for CO poisoning if your house has/uses any of the following:

Natural gas

Cars, lawn mowers, or power washers being run in an enclosed area

Portable generators

Malfunctioning furnaces, ranges, water heaters, or room heaters

Fireplaces

Charcoal burning in an enclosed area

A Word on Portable Generators

There is a drastic rise in CO poisoning deaths after natural disasters and power outages, when people are using portable generators inside their homes or in an enclosed area near their homes (such as a garage). When generators are left running in residential spaces, the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can come on quickly – even skipping past the initial, mild symptoms – causing mental confusion and loss of muscle control. If victims are not rescued right away, they will likely die.

Install a carbon monoxide alarm in or near your garage. Always make sure there is adequate ventilation when using generators. If you’re going to work on your car, pull it out of the garage.